Falls and Rises
by Linables
Summary: Rex and Noah both knew that Noah becoming a Providence recruit would put him in the line of danger. But why does Rex suddenly feel so protective of him? Noex, mostly relationship based with a bit of action at the start!
1. Chapter 1

**Falls and Rises - Chapter 1  
**

**By Linda/Linables**

**Rated T/Possible M  
**

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_Wow, look at me writing a multi-chaptered story! I honestly cannot tell you when the last time that I did that was. But I haven't been able to forget this idea that I had, so here you go, it's chapter 1. This will become a Noex story in the next couple of chapters - I expect to have three or four total. Please enjoy!_

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Rex ducked back into the alley, breath heavy as he slowly stuck his head out to observe his surroundings. The small team of four agents behind him waited, anticipating his signal. When Rex was sure that the coast was clear, he slipped out of the alley, motioning for his teammates to follow him. The group moved quietly along the dark street, a pair of eyes turned towards each direction.

Missions such as these weren't quite as common anymore, since the unstable EVOs of the world had been cured, but as Rex had many times confirmed, 'there will always be something'. Most of the time, the problem wasn't caused by an EVO, as only a handful existed now - only the ones who had both stable minds and nanites, and were willing and able to fight the worldwide cure. This of course meant that the ones who did exist were more dangerous than ever, because they were virtually all human EVOs, who of course had brains that were more developed than any old rat or lizard running around the city. And since they had consciously fought the cure, they all had to have a reason to want to keep their powers, which was a worrying sign as well. Still, the fact remained that there were few of these enemies left to fight, and most of the ones that Rex faced these days were humans who were armed with advanced technology and fighting skill. Tonight's mission involved such a character; a man called Steel Claw who wore a suit that could produce weapons from all of its extremities. He had previously proven to be as dangerous as any EVO.

This was why Rex hadn't found himself completely out of a job after the cure, in fact, he kept a steady schedule of appointments with Providence, which had been re-taken by White Knight after Black Knight and the consortium had fled. Providence also had a batch of new recruits, having attracted the attention of many young men and women through it and its star's heroic actions in ending the EVO war. One of the recruits was a very familiar blonde teenage boy, who had felt the need to take action after witnessing the end of the war, particularly the possibly sacrificial actions that Rex had taken to fight Black Knight and the consortium. Simply put, Noah could no longer watch from the sidelines as Rex risked his life. The time he'd spent with the EVO hadn't gone without leaving its mark on the boy, and Noah had some time ago realized just how much he cared about Rex. This was why he was now at his side, helping him in the field at every chance that he got.

At that moment, the group leader's communicator beeped, and Rex immediately answered it. After a short conversation, he shut it off and turned to his team.

"Okay guys, they found him, he's four blocks away from here, and heading north. Let's go!"

The group took off on foot, their pace slowing as they approached the supposed location of their enemy. Four blocks from their starting point, Rex held out a hand to signal a stop, and carefully scanned the area. Upon seeing a lightning-fast flash of a shadow on the side of the street, he signalled his team to action and produced his Boogie Pack, shooting off into the air as the other agents cornered the enemy, one blocking his escape route in every direction. Rex quickly sent word to Providence over his communicator, and when help was declared to be on the way, he zoomed down with the intent to tackle Steel Claw.

He missed, and the villain unveiled an array of thin swords that sprung from his suit's fingertips. Rex formed his BFS to counter the blows, seeing his team approach from all sides to back him up. Over the clangs of metal hitting metal, the teenage hero used his free hand to active his communicator and send a command to all agents. By this time the backup from Providence was arriving, and they swiftly fell into position, in accordance with the plan that Rex had called for. Seeing his allies dispersing, the boy himself gave a heavy thrust with his weapon, knocking Steel Claw back a good few meters and giving Rex time to form his hover board and speed off.

As expected, the villain took off in hot pursuit of the boy, although he lagged well behind the speeding hover board. He persisted though, and Rex led him quite a long distance down the street, steadily decreasing speed by the slightest amount to give the villain a sense of false confidence in his chase. Just as Steel Claw was getting within five meters of him, Rex quickly turned a corner into an alley, the villain on his heels as planned. Narrowing his eyes, Rex shot a look upwards, checking to make sure that his teammates were where they should be. Upon confirmation, the EVO gritted his teeth and turned his hover board up at a 90 degree angle, right before he hit the wall of the dead end alley. From the air, he watched the plan fall into place, as the unaware and overconfident villain crashed into the wall with a great clash of metal hitting brick.

At the same moment that Steel Claw stumbled back and hit the ground, a group of Providence agents jumped from the roofs of the surrounding buildings and formed a barrier around him before he could come to. Rex dropped to the ground and ran to the villain just as he was regaining his senses, but before he could make it, Steel Claw jolted up, his legs swinging upwards first as curved blades erupted from his feet. The agents immediately jumped into action, three on either side immobilizing him. Two stepped on the blades at his feet, but not without some trouble - Rex watched in horror as one of the blades made a shallow slice into the leg of the agent beside it. Usually, Rex would have been able to keep a cool head in such a situation, but this time, the grunt of surprise and pain that came from the agent's mouth was way too familiar.

Rex felt a strange combination of sensations, his heart swelling at Noah's dedication as he ignored his injury and ground the blade harder into the street under his foot, and his blood boiling over with his now personal vendetta against the villain. Not trying to suppress the war cry that erupted from his mouth, Rex charged at Steel Claw with more energy than ever, thrusting his BFS at his target so hard that it made a gash in the metal suit. Seeing that he had the man's attention, Rex signalled for the other agents to step aside, which they did. The moment they did so, Rex formed his Smack Hands and smashed Steel Claw into the brick wall behind him.

"Gig's up, scum!" he snarled as another agent ran up behind him, carrying a large-barrelled weapon which was much like the stun gun that César had used upon his first arrival at Providence. Now that most of the enemies that they fought weren't EVOs, Rex couldn't calm them via a cure, and they needed another way to subdue them. This was the answer that had been decided on, and it had served the organization well so far.

Rex tore the top of Steel Claw's suit off, giving the agent a place to strike. He ducked, and the paralysing blast shot out over his head. As soon as the villain stiffened up and fell to the ground, Rex's hands, now normal again, were off of him. Instead, the young hero made a beeline to the wincing blonde agent leaning against a wall nearby, leaving everything else to the rest of the team. He couldn't less about anything else right now.

"Noah!" he shouted, crouching next to his friend. "Are you ok? I mean, of course you're not okay, but are you holding up?"

Noah managed a since smile at his friend's words, despite the stinging pain in his left leg.

"Rex, it's okay. I'm okay. Or I will be soon, I promise. Look, they're already coming with first aid."

Noah pointed to the Providence vehicle pulling up, out of which agents were running with a stretcher and medical supplies. The agents came and hoisted Noah onto the stretcher, one hurrying over to wrap his injured leg to stop the bleeding. Rex watched, unsure even when his friend shot him a comforting smile and a thumbs up as he was loaded into the Providence vehicle. Somehow, the hero couldn't just let his friend be taken away, out of his sight. Right as the driver was boarding, Rex ran to the vehicle and yelled for it to not leave yet. He tore open the doors to the back and got on.

"Rex?" Noah asked, surprised.

"Hey," said the Hispanic boy, settling down into a seat near Noah's stretcher. "Somehow I just really wanted to be on the ride back with you."

He smiled somewhat sheepishly at his friend, who was sure he could feel himself blushing. Noah knew that Rex cared about him, but this was surprising. In the best way possible, though. Noah was touched.

"Are you sure you'll okay?" Rex asked, eyeing the bloody tourniquet around his friend's leg.

"Rex, I promise." Noah answered. "I'm going to be fine. The bleeding's already stopped. They'll patch me up and I'll be as good as new in no time."

Their eyes met. Rex didn't know why he felt so anxious, he knew that Providence's medical team could heal Noah's wound pretty easily. Maybe...maybe he just felt a little bit guilty. Guilty that Noah had been hurt on a mission that he had been leading. He knew it hadn't been his fault, everything had gone according to plan - except for Noah getting hurt, of course. It was no one's fault except for Steel Claw's. But somehow Rex felt that he should have been able to protect Noah better. He was just...important to him. Rex was about to open his mouth to tell this to his friend when the vehicle came to a stop. They had arrived back at Providence.

So Rex just gave Noah an encouraging smile as he watched him being wheeled into the medical bay. He would be okay, he knew it. But for whatever reason Rex just couldn't shake his need to be as close to Noah as possible right now.

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_Well, that's a load off my back! As you might have guessed, my specialty is certainly not writing action scenes. That might have been the first one that I've written in many years. But I tried not to take the easy way out and skimp too much on detail, I hope it worked out. Upcoming chapters will be much more my style. ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Falls and Rises ****- Chapter 2**

**By Linda/Linables**

**Rated T/Possible M**

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Rex raised his hand to grasp the door handle of Noah's room in the medical bay, and hesitated. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why, but he was all of a sudden overwhelmed by a surge of anxiety. It was the oddest thing. Rex told himself that it was just Noah, just his best friend, and that he was okay, and probably even waiting for the other boy to come and visit him. But something told Rex that for some reason this visit was going to be different, that this time something unusual would happen. What it was he hadn't the slightest, but the air hung heavy with a feeling of change. It didn't seem _bad_, just different. But Rex was nervous regardless. Still, his concern for his friend - and his overriding desire to see him - won out, and he grabbed the handle and pulled.

Noah heard the door open, and turned to face Rex as he slowly stepped into the room. Smiling, he lifted the arm that wasn't attached to an IV drip and motioned for the EVO boy to come over. Rex did, trying his best to not show any hesitation as he sat in the empty chair next to Noah's bed.

"Hey Rex." the boy said simply, in the exact same friendly voice he always used. It was obvious Noah didn't feel the same strangeness that Rex did.

"Hey, Noe." came the answer, the speaker trying his best to maintain eye contact without the strange feeling inside him growing. "Are...you okay?"

"I'm fine, just like I promised." said Noah, smiling and lifting his bandaged left leg the slightest bit to draw attention to it. "I just have to stay here overnight, so they can make sure everything's good, but it's highly unlikely that any serious damage has been done. I'll be back up and on missions with you in no time."

Once again Rex felt a stab of guilt. It was being on a mission with him that had gotten Noah hurt in the first place. His face must have exposed his feelings, because Noah picked up on them pretty quickly.

"Rex..." he said, voice softer than before. Rex forced himself to look up and at his friend. "The last thing I want you to feel is guilty. You think I didn't know that becoming a Providence agent would mean I'd get hurt every now and then?"

The young hispanic hero's mouth suddenly went dry, and it was all at once quite impossible to form words. Rex wasn't even sure what he could say, as his mind was more jumbled up than he remembered it ever being before.

"But..." he mumbled, willing more words to come out of his mouth. "But...I don't like to see you hurt..."

"Rex," said the blonde boy, reaching up to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Despite himself, Rex felt a pleasant shiver run up his spine at the contact between them, although he didn't dare fully acknowledge it. He already couldn't comprehend the feeling bubbling up inside him, a sudden sensation of all the air exiting his lungs as his heart filled his entire chest.

"I'm really, really glad you care about me so much. But why are you so worried about me all of a sudden?"

Rex found that he couldn't answer Noah's question, no matter how hard he tried. He'd been asking himself the same question for hours. Apparently the blank look on his face was enough to convey this, and Noah conceded to not getting an answer. He shook his head, a small smile gracing his features. He squeezed Rex's shoulder, and barely picked up on the tiny gasp, the lightning fast intake of breath that this initiated.

At that point, the sound of the door opening again startled both boys, and they turned to see a Providence medic entering the room.

"Hi Rex," said the medic, walking over to Noah's bed. "Sorry, but I'm going to do some tests now, so I'll have to ask you to leave the room."

"Tests?" Rex asked. "What tests? He's going to be okay, right?"

The medic smiled as Noah had many times, seeing how the EVO boy's concern for his friend practically radiated off of him in waves.

"He'll be fine, Rex, don't worry." the medic said. "I just have to take some blood, totally standard procedure. Noah will be good as new before you know it, I promise."

Rex seemed to get a small sense of relief from the medic's words, although he was still visibly anxious. The thanked the medic, and found himself smiling at Noah as he left the room. He smiled back.

The entire evening, Rex was unable to shake the feeling that had overtaken him during his visit with Noah. He'd been right, something different had happened that time. He'd felt something he'd never quite felt before. It unnerved him. Yet it interested him as well. Rex had considered going to someone for help, to ask for their opinion on the matter, but there wasn't really anyone around. Doctor Holiday was the obvious choice, but she'd been busy for the past few days and Rex knew better than to disturb her when she was neck deep in work. He couldn't see himself talking to Six about anything involving feelings, and somehow Rex was sure that his brother would hook him up to some machine and do experiments on him if he told him. In desperation, he'd told Bobo about what he was feeling. The ape suggested he take an antacid.

At about eleven o clock, Rex began to weigh the merits of going to bed and sleeping on it, so he brushed his teeth, changed into his pajamas, and laid down. But within minutes, he found himself completely rejecting the idea of sleep and instead walking out of his room, towards the medical bay. Why he was intent of seeing Noah again he didn't know, but that didn't stop him from swiftly making his way to the room that his injured best friend was occupying.

He wasn't sure what he would say to Noah when he saw him, but he didn't care. He opened the door quietly without knocking, ready to call out his friend's name, when he saw the boy in question sleeping peacefully in his hospital bed. Immediately Rex took a step back, putting a hand on the door to keep it from slamming closed. He considered leaving right away, which may have been the most sensible and considerate option, but something kept him there. He stared, despite his better judgement, and that feeling of his heart expanding to ten times its original size returned in full force.

A breath caught in his throat, and he took in Noah's sleeping form, from the tendrils of blonde hair fanning out over his forehead and the sterile white pillow, to the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he inhaled and exhaled. In that moment, all Rex could will himself to think was that Noah was...beautiful. It was a strange thought, and he tried to quite literally shake it out of his head, but it was no use. He continued to observe the way his friend's lips parted ever so slightly as breaths exited and entered his mouth, and the way his eyelashes fluttered restlessly every now and then.

The feeling in Rex's chest was ever expanding, and he couldn't control it anymore at all. He knew that if he left the room, the distance might dilute the feeling, but it would keep simmering within him until he acknowledged it and gave into it. Besides, Rex found, the last thing he wanted to do at the moment was leave.

His heart thumped. The situation seemed a bit unreal. Whatever this feeling was, Rex was beginning to like it. It was almost exhilarating when he let it be. It was different, but somehow vaguely familiar at the same time, which he couldn't figure out.

What was this? The swelling in his chest, the feeling of lightness. The inexplicable need to stare when you know you shouldn't.

Now that he thought about it, it was almost like...

But no, that was crazy. That was impossible. That wouldn't happen.

But...the tingle he felt when Noah touched him.

Maybe it was. But...how could it be?

He didn't know. But maybe it was. Maybe it really was. In an instant, Rex realized it.

He was in love with Noah.

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Yeah! So sorry for taking this long with chapter 2, I've just been busy and uninspired lately. :( But I hope you guys like this. I will try to get the next chapter out faster. It probably wouldn't hurt if you reviewed and told me you want more, either! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Falls and Rises ****- Chapter 3**

**By Linda/Linables**

**Rated T/Possible M**

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Hey, sorry for not replying to reviews in the last chapter! I'll do that now. :)

KaitlynShadowheart: Thanks so much, I hope you like this chapter too!

HubrisP: Thank you! I haven't planned for this story to include any OCs, but thanks so much for the offer!

I hope both of you, and any new readers, enjoy this chapter. I really wanted to write César into this because he's such a fun character, so I went ahead and did that. Get ready for some brotherly advice!

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Rex sat uncharacteristically still on his bed, staring at his gloved hands as if they were extremely interesting. A lollipop stick was clutched in his teeth, but he didn't seem to notice or care that the candy on the stick had long since gone, leaving only the sticky bit of softening cardboard. Rex had tried everything to get his mind off his recent revelation, because he wasn't sure he had the means to deal with it right then. He had tried having a training session, reading a comic book, riding around the city at reckless speeds on his Rex Ride, and even taking a cold shower. Nothing had worked, his mind seemed to be permanently fixated on nothing but Noah and how Rex felt about him.

He wasn't sure what to do anymore. He supposed it would bring about some kind of resolution to just tell the boy in question what he was feeling, but then again that resolution might end up being a broken heart and a splintered friendship. Rex wasn't sure he wanted to risk it. Especially since the whole time he had known Noah, Rex had only seen him show interest in girls. Granted, it hadn't been very many girls, and he had broken up with the last one somewhat recently, but Rex still assumed that his friend was quite straight. And for all he knew, Noah assumed that Rex was quite straight as well. So to say the least, the hurdle that he would have to surmount in order to bring everything out into the open was great. Perhaps too great.

The option of asking for advice once again came into Rex's mind, but the problem with that was still the same - who in the world would be go to for advice on this? Noah was usually the person Rex sought advice from, but he'd never considered who could give him advice _about_ Noah. It was times like these that he really, really wished he had more close friends, or less eccentric family members.

The universe had perhaps heard Rex's thoughts about eccentric family members, because not many moments later the door to his room opened and Rex turned to see his brother at the door, smiling in a way that could only mean he was up to something that Rex would rather not be a part of. Unfortunately, he never seemed to have much of a say when it came César using him as a guinea pig for his experiments.

"Great news mijo!" said the older Salazar. "My latest invention is up and functioning! But before it's completely finished, I need to do some compulsory tests on its performance. I need you to help me."

'_Of course you do,_' thought Rex, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in a friendly but still wary manner. '_Well, at least it will give me something else to think about._'

Giving in to his brother's request, Rex followed the scientist out of his room and to the laboratory that César worked in. It wasn't long before Rex found himself sitting down in the test subject's chair, preparing to get hooked up to a machine. This one was supposed to essentially turn the user into a telekinetic by broadcasting a thought command electronically to an object that had the capacity to receive it, allowing the user to control the object with their mind.

"Hands free control," said César, beaming. "It's what busy people have wanted for years. Let me just check your vitals and then you can give it a go."

Rex was actually kind of excited about the prospect of trying this one out, but as luck would have it, César turned to Rex after checking his biometrics and frowned.

"Is something wrong, mijo?" he asked, looking concerned. "Your biometrics are jumping all over the place. Your heart rate is higher than normal and your brain activity is hectic."

Rex tensed up, not having realized earlier that César would probably be able to read his emotions - if not intuitively, then scientifically. Caught between telling a lie and spilling the truth, Rex just "umm'd" and "hmm'd" for a while, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with his brother. Unfortunately he wasn't very good at hiding his emotions, and now César could definitely see Rex's inner conflict now, even without reading his biometrics.

"Rex," he said, more seriously. "I'm serious. What's bothering you? And don't tell me nothing because I can see that it's definitely something."

He really was between a rock and a hard place now. He weighed his options. For a moment, Rex considered going with the "I have a friend who has this problem..." tactic, but he quickly rejected that idea. It was highly unlikely that someone with a genius IQ would fall for that. Honestly, Rex didn't even think he'd fall for that in César's place. Finally, he settled on something vague but true.

"I don't know what to do about something."

"What's that?"

Rex bit his lip.

"Um...it's, uh, personal."

"And?"

"And I can't tell you?"

César smiled slightly, seeing clearly in this moment that his little brother was still just a teenage boy with teenage boy feelings and teenage boy problems. He tried to think back to his teenage years, looking for the possible source of Rex's strife. Unfortunately César's teenage years hadn't exactly been typical (not that Rex's were either), so he had to think about it for longer than one would expect. But in the end, he decided that the likely culprit was either friends, girls, or some combination of both.

"Something to do with friends, or a love interest?"

Rex squirmed in his seat as if he was suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Uh...well, yes...and yes."

"So...a friend who is a love interest?"

"Well, no...not yet...probably never." Rex felt a pang of sadness as he said this. Mostly because he was quite sure it was true.

"And how do you know? Have you told your friend about this?"

"No, and I don't plan on doing that any time soon."

"Why not?"

"Well..." Rex wrestled with his choice of words, not willing to completely give everything away. "It's just...it's just that it's never going to happen. It's just too crazy."

Rex had hoped that this would deter César from pressing the issue further, but unfortunately it didn't. Just the opposite, the scientist seemed to have been hooked by the mystery of the situation, and now took it upon himself to try and guess the subject of his brother's affections.

"Hmm...who could it be then?" he pondered, stroking his chin in an almost comical manner. Rex silently begged for the chance to get through this without divulging his secret.

"Could it be that blonde girl who you've been out with in the past? Or are you perhaps still thinking of Circe?"

"No, and no..."

"Well, how about that girl you knew in Hong Kong? Cricket?"

"No."

"Beverly?"

"No...can you stop trying to guess?"

César seemed to not hear his brother's request, and kept turning over names in his head. When he couldn't think of any more, he looked at Rex with a curious expression, as if searching for a clue.

"Well, mijo, I can't think of any more female friends that I know you have. Have you met someone new?"

Rex felt as if he had fallen from some sort of proverbial cliff by that point. He was too far in, he wouldn't be able to lie his way out of this anymore. The only place to go from here was the truth. His next statement came as a soft mumble, a barely audible string of words uttered under one's breath.

"I never said it was a female."

Rex had no idea what to expect as a reaction. He knew that César heard him, but almost didn't dare to look his brother in the eye. They had still known each other for such a short time - one that Rex could remember, in any case - that they hadn't exactly discussed matters like this. Rex had no idea how the man felt about "these kind of things". Eventually, he forced himself to look up. For some reason, he was surprised by the fact that César seemed less than perturbed by the revelation. More than anything, his interest seemed to increase, and he was still thinking hard about who his brother might have fallen for. Not knowing what else to do, Rex just sat there, waiting for the scientist to speak again. His voice was calm as ever when he did.

"Well, if it's not a female, there's quite a few more options, aren't there? You're not making this easy for me, are you little brother?"

Rex suddenly snapped out of it, the dryness in his mouth dissipating.

"So...wait...you're not...well, you know, weirded out at all?"

César looked surprised.

"Why, should I be?"

"Uh...no, I guess not...I mean, I hoped you wouldn't be..."

César's expression softened upon seeing his brother's obvious anxiety.

"Rex," he said, placing a hand on the EVO boy's shoulder, "I don't care who it is you love, as long as they treat you well and make you happy."

Rex smiled in relief, but his smile was quickly wiped away by the recurring realization that his affections likely wouldn't be returned. His expression darkened, and he looked down.

"Thanks, bro. But believe me, it's not gonna work with him."

"And why can't it?"

"Well...he...I...I don't even know if...if he, you know, swings that way."

"Well, all I can say is that you won't ever know if it could work out unless you go and get the answer yourself. If you're great friends with this boy, then he'll understand no matter what. But I won't ask you who he is, I know you've always told me more than you were comfortable with."

César was just turning back to his machine to try and recheck Rex's biometrics now that he had calmed down, when his brother spoke up. Rex wasn't sure what made him do it, maybe it was just a feeling of being so far out in the open already, there was nothing else for him to lose. And, he thought, César had been surprisingly helpful and understanding. So if he was going to tell anyone, it might as well be him.

"Noah."

Rex's voice was quiet and calm. César turned around, not catching onto his brother's meaning right away.

"What was that?"

"Noah," said Rex again, looking his brother in the eyes. "That's who it is."

César smiled, pleased by his brother's honesty. By the look in his eyes, César could tell that Rex was absolutely speaking the truth.

"Well, mijo, I don't think you have a problem then. If I remember correctly, you and Noah have been through much worse things and still stuck together. If you two have as strong a friendship as it seems, then he will understand."

Rex seemed to consider this for a moment. He supposed César could be right. The pessimist in him screamed that no, it would still never work out, Noah would probably freak and never want to see him again. But the side that agreed with his brother was slowly becoming the stronger of the two.

"Thanks, César." said Rex. Then he cracked a smile, his first in some time. "I never thought you'd be so helpful in this kind of situation."

"Hey, love is the result of a chemical occurrence in the brain, so it could be considered a science. Now, are you still up for trying the telekinesis helmet?"

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Phew! This is becoming longer than I thought it would! I might have to extend this to about five chapters. That is, if you guys want me to write an M rated scene or not! ;) Let me know in a review if you'd like one!


	4. Chapter 4

**Falls and Rises ****- Chapter 4**

**By Linda/Linables**

**Rated T/Possible M**

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**Replies!**

Heavenly-goddess2: Thank you so much! I hope this satisfies you. ;)

RyuuseiDragonPenguin: Ah man, honestly, your review just gave me the push I needed to get this last chapter off the ground. I had lost steam in a major way, and I didn't know if I would get this finished any time soon, but you helped me get my second wind. Thank you! :)

Nightlightbee: As you wish! Here's the last chapter, including Noah's reaction. I think you'll find it to your satisfaction...at least I hope so!

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Rex absentmindedly dribbled the basketball he was holding, staring out at nothing in particular, at least not the basket. He wasn't even sure why his feet had led him to the empty basketball court, but there he was, standing in the middle of the court without making any feasible attempt to actually practice. Of course this was where Rex most often met Noah when they weren't on duty, but he was sure that he wouldn't be running into his friend today. After all, Noah's leg was still bandaged up though he had left the medical bay a day ago. In the end, Rex settled on this being a good thing. After all, he still wasn't sure exactly how he would react to seeing the object of his newly realized affections. He had taken his brother's advice to heart, and was actually planning on telling Noah how he felt about him at some point, but he had yet to come up with an eloquent way to put it. So yes, maybe not seeing Noah quite yet was good.

Rex took a shot and missed. As he walked to the edge of the court to collect the ball, he decided that this time would be better spent practicing what he might say to Noah, instead of desperately trying to score points for no good reason. So he returned to dribbling the ball, finding the repetitive action calming, and started to rehearse silently.

_'Noah, I, uh...need to talk to you about something important...'_ no, that was stupid, he sounded like a parent trying to teach their kid a lesson.

'_Noah, we've been friend for a long time now_...' no, too formal.

'_Noah, I think you're really great, and I hope that you don't hate me for this_...' ugh, no, that was just desperate.

"Damn it, why can't I just say what I'm feeling? It's not that hard!" Rex muttered to himself, not even realizing that he had begun to speak out loud.

"Why can't I just come out and say, 'Hey Noah, you're a great guy, and lately I've been feeling different around you, like I liked you more than a friend. I know we're both guys but I don't know, maybe it's worth a shot if you by some chance feel the same way?'"

Rex's ranting to himself was becoming louder, and he was becoming so engrossed in it that he didn't hear the sound of someone approaching him. Had he listened, he would have picked up the footsteps of someone with an uneven gait, hitting the ground in an irregular rhythm with every other one sounding different, as if the person was walking with an injured leg.

Rex was about to continue cursing himself for being so un-articulate when another person's voice managed to reach his ears.

"Rex?"

The utterance came as a question from somewhere behind him, and the EVO quickly spun around to face the last person he had wanted to find him at that moment. Upon meeting Noah's eyes, Rex had an immediate sensation akin to somebody replacing the entirety of his blood with ice water. He stood, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights, completely paralysed by the situation. He hadn't the faintest idea how to get himself out of this one.

Noah approached his friend, bandaged leg clonking with every step but seemingly giving him little trouble. He seemed much more focused on his rather mortified friend, who managed to register that despite the hesitation on Noah's face, his expression was far from anything that would be considered negative. He thought he even saw a small flicker of hope in the blonde's eyes, but he chalked that up to delusions.

"Rex," Noah started, seemingly somewhat hesitant. "Did I...did I hear you say what I think I heard you say?"

Rex only managed a small squeak at first, then when his shock began to wear off his brain launched into recovery mode.

"Noah, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I know you must think I'm really weird now, please don't hate me though, you're such a good friend and I don't want to lose you, I didn't even know I was talking out loud, please don't–"

Noah cut Rex off then by placing a hand on his flailing arm, expression softening and almost taking on a smile.

"Rex, Rex, calm down! I don't think you're weird, and I don't hate you! Could you just tell me one thing?"

The EVO's emotional rush started to subside and he looked at his friend, whose hand was still touching his arm and whose eyes were locked firmly with his. Rex willed himself to hold Noah's gaze and give a small nod in response to his question.

The blonde boy took a deep breath to steady himself before asking, "Did you mean it? What you said?"

Rex found his body responding almost of its own accord, and he slowly nodded again. Noah's eyes widened at first, then his expression transitioned into one of excitement and relief. Rex found it hard to grasp what he was seeing, not having expected anything like this as a reaction. So he just stood there numbly, staring at Noah and waiting for him to clarify what he was thinking.

Noah's grip on Rex's arm tightened slightly, and his free hand wandered up to grab the other arm. Rex quickly looked from one of Noah's hands to the other, then to his face. He just caught a glimpse of the gentle smile before the other boy lunged at him, wrapping his arms around Rex's midsection and burying his blonde head in Rex's chest. The Hispanic teen was shocked at first, but his elation at suddenly being in such close contact with Noah soon took over and he returned the tight embrace. No matter what, he was going to have this moment and enjoy it for all it was worth.

After many long moments the two pulled apart, and Noah's face had broken out into a full on smile. Rex, feeling cautiously hopeful, felt his own lips curving up into a similar expression.

"Rex..." said Noah, voice shaky but not with fear or nervousness. His words were almost punctuated by shallow, breathy laughs, the mark of someone who is saying something that they can hardly believe is true.

"Rex, you have no idea how glad I am that you said that. Because now...well, now I don't have to be the one to bring it up. And damn, have I wanted it to be brought up for so long."

"Wh...what?"

"I've been trying to figure out how to break it to you. But every time I thought I'd try, I chickened out. I couldn't do it. So I'm so glad that I walked in here exactly when I did."

Rex took a moment to process this. Everything was happening all at once, and whatever Rex had thought the situation would be like when he came clean to Noah, it surely wasn't this. Eventually, he was only able to arrive at one conclusion.

"So...do you...feel the same?"

Noah suddenly looked quite shy, face taking on a hint of pink. He looked down, but then forced himself to look Rex in the eye and nod.

The sudden reality of the situation struck Rex like a boulder. A beautiful, unreal, amazingly fantastic boulder. He couldn't help himself, he had to touch Noah again, any way that he could. Before either of them knew it, Rex's arms were wrapped around the other boy, holding even tighter than before. He smiled wider than he remembered ever smiling when the warmth and pressure of Noah's own arms was felt on his back.

When they finally parted, Rex's face had taken on its characteristic grin, and his hands remained firmly planted Noah's waist.

"So, then can I please do something that I've been wanting to do for ages now?"

Trusting Rex completely, Noah nodded his head. He wasn't disappointed when the EVO boy began to lean forward, bringing his face closer and closer to Noah's own. He stopped just centimeters short, seemingly entranced by the bright blue eyes, pink cheeks and full lips before him. He almost didn't move at all, just staring, and eventually Noah grew impatient and took it upon himself to finish the task. He pushed forward, connecting his lips with Rex's, and then nothing else mattered.

They kissed almost desperately, not even caring that this was the first one, they both had such a reservoir of pent up desire that they were eager to finally act upon it. Eventually, the action grew gentler, lips pressing against lips with earnest but also with a sense of fluidity. The two boys didn't part for what seemed like ages, and even when they did, they remained locked in the same embrace. Rex looked at Noah with an expression of long awaited fulfilment, eyes soft and lips wearing a gentle smile. He was amazed, thankful, and just about giddy. But there was one more thing that he wanted to know.

"Noah, how in the world did this happen? Not that I'm complaining, obviously, but I always thought I could never get you because you were so into the ladies."

Noah blushed and chuckled, realizing that what Rex said was pretty much true. But there was also something he didn't know, and Noah figured that this would be the perfect time to tell him.

"Rex, do you wanna know who was the one who helped me figure out how I felt about you?"

"Of course! I have to thank that amazing person."

Noah smiled widely again.

"Well, it was Claire, believe it or not."

"Wha...? How?"

"Uh, well...back when I was still dating her, she said that she noticed me getting distant. We had a long talk, and I asked her what she meant. She said that I wasn't paying attention to her anymore, that I was hanging out with you more than her. Which, obviously, was true."

Rex nodded, hanging onto Noah's words.

"So I asked her why me hanging out with you was a problem, and she said that I seemed to only think about you. Even when I was with her, she could tell that I was thinking about you. And, well, that was actually true too."

Rex smiled proudly, heart swelling from the confession. He knew what Noah meant.

"So Claire brought up the idea that maybe I wasn't into her anymore. She said that maybe I had fallen for someone else...maybe I had actually fallen for you, at some point when I least expected it. I didn't believe her at first, I'd never thought about that happening. But I couldn't get the idea out of my head, and one day when I saw you, something just clicked. All of a sudden, I saw you in a different light. Everything just made sense. From that day on, I've been trying to figure out what to do about it."

Rex felt a powerful stirring in his chest, as if his heart was doing flips. He hadn't even counted on Noah returning his feelings, let alone going through the same thing that he'd been going through. But now they just had an even further level to connect on. Both had simultaneously had an almighty weight lifted from their backs, even though it had come, for Rex, at the cost of several minutes of raging embarrassment. But that had long since dissipated, and now all Rex wanted to do was make up for lost time and get as close to his blushing blonde friend as possible. And damn it if he wasn't going to do just that.

He looked down at Noah, pulling him even closer and adopting his best seductive eyes.

"Well, now that we've figured it out," he said, "Can I just kiss you again?"

Noah grinned slyly, wrapping his arms around Rex's neck.

"I thought you'd never ask."

With that, Rex once again connected his lips with Noah's, having no intention of letting go any time soon. Angling his head slightly to the side, Noah accepted him and let the kiss deepen, lips pressing feverishly against the others' and parting as if by instinct. The EVO boy took the opportunity to prod his friend's lips with the tip of his tongue, running it softly across the full bottom lip and dipping it into Noah's mouth to meet his as soon as access was granted. Noah gave in without a flicker of hesitation, giving and taking passionately, almost greedily, wondering how it could possibly have taken this long to get here.

Rex's hands wandered from their position on Noah's waist, making tentative trails towards the boy's chest and back, slipping uncontested under his green military jacket and roaming. Noah made a small noise of surprise against Rex's mouth, but quickly moved his own hands up into his lover's hair and behind his neck to quell any thoughts that Rex may have of stopping. Finding no protest, the darker pair of hands slid over the other's torso, this time drawing a tiny, breathless moan from the recipient. Noah's hands gripped the EVO boy tighter, lips pulling away from the other's lips and immediately making contact again on the cheek, starting a trail from there down to the jawline and then to the neck.

Breathless, Rex craned his neck down to whisper into Noah's ear.

"Should we get inside? It would be sufficiently awkward to be caught out here like this, as amazing as it does feel."

"Mmmhh, okay..." Noah whispered back, never taking his lips off of Rex's skin for long. He was about to finally pull away and start the walk back inside when he felt his feet rising off of the ground. Before he realized what was happening, Rex had already swooped him up into his arms and was grinning at him. He built his Boogie Pack and the two were airborne within seconds.

"Wow, look at you, mister knight in shining armour," Noah teased, wrapping his arms tightly around the EVO. "Are you gonna give me flowers too?"

"If you want." said Rex, squeezing Noah's thigh where he was supporting him. "That might have to wait for tomorrow though, but I do have other things that I could give you tonight."

"Hmmm, I think I can go with that instead."

"Good. Because we have a _lot_ of time to make up for."

* * *

Well okay! That's it! Glad to have this done, I can never in good conscience leave anything unfinished. I really hope you all enjoyed it, even though I didn't end up going up to an M rating, I hope I gave enough Noex goodness at the end to appease your appetites. Thank you everyone so much for reading, and keep the Noex alive!


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